Moving out: Village life narrows the options

Julie and Ben Howison moved to a village in Wiltshire from London last year, with their daughters Freya and Clara.

"Before we moved, I looked at the schools here and found that there was a cluster of villages that fed into one perfectly decent comprehensive. I liked the idea that you just went to your local school, no selection stuff, exams, or sending kids halfway across London. They can walk or cycle to school. It would be like it was for me: living in a village with a large comprehensive that everyone just goes to.

"In London, secondary schools are such a big topic of conversation. I know people who have done mad things like renting flats to be in the right area. It's such a contentious issue. It can come between friends and families; it's talked about behind people's backs. I have sat with friends and one will be saying "over my dead body, that school", and there's someone else there who has no option but that school. They don't have the money or resources to beat the system. I'm glad I escaped from that.

"We looked at other secondaries - across the border, in Bath and North-east Somerset - and we found one we liked more than the local one. But we probably won't get it, because we're 200 yards out of the county. We didn't really escape it. There are catchment areas here just like in London. But it's terrific, because we know we can't lose. We'll be happy either way."